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Hillman C, Kearn J, Parker MO. A unified approach to investigating 4 dpf zebrafish larval behaviour through a standardised light/dark assay. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 134:111084. [PMID: 39002928 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Zebrafish are a dynamic research model in the domains of neuropsychopharmacology, biological psychiatry and behaviour. Working with larvae ≤4 days post-fertilisation (dpf) offers an avenue for high-throughput investigation whilst aligning with the 3Rs principles of animal research. The light/dark assay, which is the most widely used behavioural assay for larval neuropharmacology research, lacks experimental reliability and standardisation. This study aimed to formulate a robust, reproducible and standardised light/dark behavioural assay using 4 dpf zebrafish larvae. Considerable between-batch and inter-individual variability was found, which we rectified with a normalisation approach to ensure a reliable foundation for analysis. We then identified that 5-min light/dark transition periods are optimal for locomotor activity. We also found that a 30-min acclimation in the light was found to produce significantly increased dark phase larval locomotion. Next, we confirmed the pharmacological predictivity of the standardised assay using ethanol which, as predicted, caused hyperlocomotion at low concentrations and hypolocomotion at high concentrations. Finally, the assay was validated by assessing the behavioural phenotype of hyperactive transgenic (adgrl3.1-/-) larvae, which was rescued with psychostimulant medications. Our standardised assay not only provides a clear experimental and analytical framework to work with 4 dpf larvae, but also facilitates between-laboratory collaboration using our normalisation approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Hillman
- Surrey Sleep Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
| | - James Kearn
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), UK.
| | - Matthew O Parker
- Surrey Sleep Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK; School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.
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Cesário HPSDF, Silva FCO, Ferreira MKA, de Menezes JESA, Dos Santos HS, Marques da Fonseca A, Nogueira CES, Marinho MM, Marinho ES, Teixeira AMR, Silveira ER, Pessoa ODL. Anxiolytic effects of N-(4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1,2-dithiolo-[4,3,b]-pyrrole-6-yl)- N-methylformamide, a pyrroloformamide isolated from a marine Streptomyces sp., in adult zebrafish by the 5-HT system. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:445-460. [PMID: 37038661 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2193988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
General anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health problems worldwide. The emergence and development of anxiety disorders can be due to genetic (30-50%) or non-genetic (50-70%) factors. Despite medical progress, available pharmacotherapies are sometimes ineffective or can cause undesirable side effects. Thus, it becomes necessary to discover new safe and effective drugs against anxiety. This study evaluated the anxiolytic effect in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) of a natural pyrroloformamide (PFD), N-(4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1,2-dithiolo-[4,3,b]-pyrrole-6-yl)-N-methylformamide, isolated from a Streptomyces sp. bacterium strain recovered from the ascidian Eudistoma vannamei. The complete structure of PFD was determined by a detailed NMR analysis, including 1H-13C and 1H-15N-HBMC data. In addition, conformational and DFT computational studies also were performed. A group of fishes (n = 6) was treated orally with PFD (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/mL; 20 μL) and subjected to locomotor activity and light/dark tests, as well as, acute toxicity 96 h. The involvement of the GABAergic and serotonergic (5-HT) systems was investigated using flumazenil (a silent modulator of GABA receptor) and 5-HT1, 5-HT2A/2C and 5-HTR3A/3B receptors antagonists, known as pizotifen, granisetron and cyproheptadine, respectively. PFD was nontoxic, reduced locomotor activity and promoted the anxiolytic effect in zebrafish. Flumazenil did not inhibit the anxiolytic effect of the PFD via the GABAergic system. This effect was reduced by a pretreatment with pizotifen and granisetron, and was not reversed after treatment with cyproheptadine. Molecular docking and dynamics studies confirmed the interaction of PFD with the 5-HT receptor.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hélcio S Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Products, Synthesis and Biocatalysis of Organic Compounds, Vale do Acaraú University, Sobral, CE, Brazil
| | - Aluísio Marques da Fonseca
- Academic Master in Sociobiodiversity and Sustainable Technologies - MASTS, Institute of Engineering and Sustainable Development, University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusofonia, Acarape, CE, Brazil
| | - Carlos Emídio S Nogueira
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Regional University of Cariri, Crato, CE, Brazil
- Department of Physics, Regional University of Cariri, Crato, CE, Brazil
| | - Marcia M Marinho
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Products, Synthesis and Biocatalysis of Organic Compounds, Vale do Acaraú University, Sobral, CE, Brazil
| | | | - Alexandre Magno R Teixeira
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Regional University of Cariri, Crato, CE, Brazil
- Course of Physics, State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Edilberto R Silveira
- Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Otília Deusdênia L Pessoa
- Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
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Resmim CM, Borba JV, Pretzel CW, Santos LW, Rubin MA, Rosemberg DB. Assessing the exploratory profile of two zebrafish populations: influence of anxiety-like phenotypes and independent trials on homebase-related parameters and exploration. Behav Processes 2023:104912. [PMID: 37406867 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety is a protective behavior when animals face aversive conditions. The open field test (OFT) is used to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of exploration, in which both homebase formation and recognition of environmental cues may reflect habituation to unfamiliar conditions. Because emotional- and affective-like states influence exploration patterns and mnemonic aspects, we aimed to verify whether the exploratory behaviors of two zebrafish populations showing distinct baselines of anxiety differ in two OFT sessions. Firstly, we assessed the baseline anxiety-like responses of short fin (SF) and leopard (LEO) populations using the novel tank test (NTT) and light-dark test (LDT) in 6-min trials. Fish were later tested in two consecutive days in the OFT, in which the spatial occupancy and exploratory profile were analyzed for 30min. In general, LEO showed pronounced diving behavior and scototaxis in the NTT and LDT, respectively, in which an "anxiety index" corroborated their exacerbated anxiety-like behavior. In the OFT, the SF population spent less time to establish the homebase in the 1st trial, while only LEO showed a markedly reduction in the latency to homebase formation in the 2nd trial. Both locomotion and homebase-related activities were decreased in the 2nd trial, in which animals also revealed increased occupancy in the center area of the apparatus. Moreover, we verified a significant percentage of homebase conservation for both populations, while only SF showed reduced the number of trips and increased the average length of trips. Principal component analyses revealed that distinct factors accounted for total variances between trials for each population tested. While homebase exploration was reduced in the 2nd trial for SF, an increased occupancy in the center area and hypolocomotion were the main factors that contribute to the effects observed in LEO during re-exposure to the OFT. In conclusion, our novel data support the homebase conservation in zebrafish subjected to independent OFT sessions, as well as corroborate a population-dependent effect on specific behavioral parameters related to exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cássio M Resmim
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.
| | - João V Borba
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Camilla W Pretzel
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Laura W Santos
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Maribel A Rubin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA.
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Henry J, Bai Y, Kreuder F, Saaristo M, Kaslin J, Wlodkowic D. A miniaturized electrothermal array for rapid analysis of temperature preference behaviors in ecology and ecotoxicology. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 314:120202. [PMID: 36169081 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Due to technical limitations, there have been minimal studies performed on thermal preferences and thermotactic behaviors of aquatic ectotherm species commonly used in ecotoxicity testing. In this work, we demonstrate an innovative, purpose-built and miniaturized electrothermal array for rapid thermal preference behavioral tests. We applied the novel platform to define thermal preferences in multiple invertebrate and vertebrate species. Specifically, Dugesia notogaea (freshwater planarians), Chironomus tepperi (nonbiting midge larvae), Ostracoda (seed shrimp), Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp), Daphnia carinata (water flea), Austrochiltonia subtenuis (freshwater amphipod), Physa acuta (freshwater snail), Potamopyrgus antipodarum (New Zealand mud snail) and larval stage of Danio rerio (zebrafish) were tested. The Australian freshwater water fleas, amphipods, snail Physa acuta as well as zebrafish exhibited the most consistent preference to cool zones and clear avoidance of zones >27 °C out of nine species tested. Our results indicate the larval stage of zebrafish as the most responsive species highly suitable for prospective development of multidimensional behavioral test batteries. We also showcase preliminary data that environmentally relevant concentrations of pharmaceutical pollutants such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ibuprofen (9800 ng/L) and insecticide imidacloprid (4600 ng/L) but not anti-depressant venlafaxine (2200 ng/L) and (iv) anticonvulsant medications gabapentin (400 ng/L) can perturb thermal preference behavior of larval zebrafish. Collectively our results demonstrate the utility of simple and inexpensive thermoelectric technology in rapid exploration of thermal preference in diverse species of aquatic animals. We postulate that more broadly such technologies can also have added value in ecotoxicity testing of emerging contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Henry
- The Neurotox Lab, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Yutao Bai
- The Neurotox Lab, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Florian Kreuder
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Minna Saaristo
- Environmental Protection Authority Victoria, EPA Science, Macleod, Victoria, 3085, Australia
| | - Jan Kaslin
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Donald Wlodkowic
- The Neurotox Lab, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3083, Australia. http://www.rmit.edu.au/staff/donald-wlodkowic
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